Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Jason Ramseyer had already returned safely from a seven-month deployment in Afghanistan.

Now he was in Iraq, in charge of a squad providing security for the battalion commander. He hoped he could finish his tour by October and return home to his wife, Mandy, whom he'd known since their high school days in Lenoir, and their daughters, ages 3 and 2.

On Tuesday, in what would be their last conversation, Ramseyer talked about his plans with Mandy, back at base in Hawaii. She told him she'd been with him for nine years and gone wherever he had gone, and she was prepared to keep doing that.

On one condition: that his next assignment keep him home. "That's all I wanted," she said Saturday.

Mandy Ramseyer was still in shock Saturday. She was two days into the news. Jason Ramseyer was killed Thursday when the device he was checking along a road in Anbar province exploded, wounding two other Marines under his command. He was 28.

"There's no way," said Mandy Ramseyer, also 28, "to put it into words."

Jason Ramseyer, a 1996 graduate of West Caldwell High School in Lenoir, will be buried sometime this week in Arlington National Cemetery after services in Lenoir, Mandy Ramseyer said. The details are incomplete.

He was born in West Palm Beach, Fla., but moved to Lenoir with his parents in 1990, before he started middle school. His mother, Cindy Hicks of Claremont, said he was a perfect child: The only time Jason ever got into trouble was as a teenager, when he was caught fishing without a license.

It became clear during his high school years that Jason, though small, was a competitor. He excelled at wrestling, soccer and especially baseball, and he pushed himself to excel at everything he tried, his family and an old teammate said.

"When he did something, he wanted to do his best," said Joe Greer, who was two years behind Jason at West Caldwell and played with him on the baseball team.

Even then, Jason talked about the Marines. More than that -- it was almost all he could talk about. He pre-enlisted, Hicks said, and two weeks after graduation was off to basic training.

"It was amazing to me, for someone in high school to be so excited about being in the Marines, with people telling you what to do and where to go and everything. That's kind of like the opposite of what you want in high school," Greer said. "And that's what amazed me, when I'd run into him later, that it was everything he'd wanted it to be."

Jason's family agreed: He loved the Marines. Hicks thinks it may be because her son grew to only 5 feet 7 inches, and he felt a need to prove his toughness. Whatever the reason, he'd found his calling.

"If you look up `Marine,' " Mandy Ramseyer said, "you'll see him."

His last deployment began March 9. His job was to lead a squad escorting Lt. Col. Norm Cooling, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, from place to place in Iraq. He took the job seriously, as he did everything else, Mandy said.

A Marine Corps major told her the squad had just dropped Cooling off at a meeting and was headed back to base when Jason got out of his Humvee to check an object in the road, as he had dozens of times before. If he suspected a bomb, he'd call a bomb squad.

This time, he never got the chance. The device was remote-controlled, and Jason didn't even have time to take cover.

Hicks, who works as a paralegal in Hickory, got an urgent call from her husband that afternoon. He told her to come home immediately.

When she arrived, she knew. Two Marines were waiting. Her son had told her: If Marines ever show up at your door, it doesn't mean I'm injured.

She thought, too, about what he'd told her and Mandy before his deployment to Afghanistan. He was packing, and he insisted on showing them the precise spot on his uniform for each of his 10 medals. Neither woman wanted to hear it or even think about it.

But Jason said: No, you need to know where the medals go in case something happens.

Hicks hoped with everything she had that she'd never have to apply the lesson.

Jason was her only child.

"I know there's got to be a special reason why (God) took him from me and his babies," Hicks said. "But he was a Marine, and he was very proud, and that was his job."

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Marine Corps News

Hawaii-based Marine unit mourns loss of warrior, leader, father

Submitted by: 1st Marine Division

Story by: Computed Name: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle

HADITHA, Iraq (April 27, 2006) -- Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer will be remembered for the countless sacrifices he made for his brethren Marines.

His final sacrifice came when he was killed April 21, 2006, by an improvised explosive device while on a convoy in Haditha in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province.

Ramseyer, 28, was honored by his fellow Marines during a memorial service at the Haditha Dam here April 23.

The Lenoir, N.C., native was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him.

“He was by far the greatest leader of Marines I have ever had the honor of working for,” said Sgt. Michael Ferguson, 23, platoon sergeant assigned to 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment.

The Hawaii-based “America’s Battalion” arrived in Iraq about six weeks ago to replace another Marine battalion conducting security operations in this region along the Euphrates River.

Ramseyer was the platoon commander for the battalion’s Forward Command Post, also known as the “Jump CP.” His job often required him to travel on Al Anbar’s dangerous roads to provide security for Iraqis and other Marines.

“The world was a better place when Staff Sgt. Ramseyer was here,” said Ferguson.

Ramseyer joined the Marine Corps in June 1996. He reported to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment in November 2003, and deployed with the unit to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom last year.

For duty in Iraq, Ramseyer was hand-selected by Lt. Col. Norman L. Cooling, the battalion’s commanding officer, as the platoon commander for the Jump CP – a duty his Marines say he performed with consummate professionalism and unparalleled valor.

“He had courage,” said Ferguson, who was also exposed to the blast that killed Ramseyer. “He would always go to the front line and he never showed fear in doing so. He had the mentality of a true warrior.”

“He would never put a Marine in a dangerous situation he was not willing to put himself in first,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael Kiernan, 33, company gunnery sergeant for the battalion’s Headquarters and Service Company. “His Marines respected him because he treated them, regardless of rank, with the respect and dignity they deserved. He was a great friend and a great Marine. We will all miss him.”

Kiernan also said that aside for his love for the Marine Corps and his Marines, Ramseyer was also a dedicated family man. Kiernan remembers one Christmas Eve staying up all night assisting Ramseyer assemble a trampoline for his children.

“He strived to have the perfect family,” said Kiernan. “He cherished every minute he had with his wife and children. He even named his weapons and protective equipment after them. There was nothing he would not do for them.”

Note: This is not an official website. It's purpose is to support Marines of 3/3.

HADITHA, Iraq (April 18, 2006) -- Cpl. Andres Aguilar will be remembered by the Marines he served with as a dedicated young man who gave faith to his seniors that the job would always get done.

Aguilar, who died earlier this month in a vehicle accident, was one of four Marines memorialized during a service at the Marines" base in this Euphrates River valley region in western Al Anbar Province, April 18, 2006.

The other three Marines honored at the service were: Cpl. David A. Bass, of Nashville, Tenn.; Lance Cpl. Patrick J. Gallagher, of Jacksonville, Fla.; and Cpl. Brian R. St. Germain, of Warwick, R.I. All three belonged to the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 1st Marine Logistics Group.

Aguilar drowned when the seven-ton truck he was in rolled over in a flash flood near Al Asad, Iraq. He was among six other Marines and one sailor who died in the accident.

Aguilar was a ground communications repairman for 3rd Battalion., 3rd Marine Regiment, which left their base in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, more than a month ago for a seven-month deployment to Iraq.

The Victoria, Texas, native was a 2002 graduate from Regan High School where he played football and soccer. He joined the Marine Corps June 4, 2002, and attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, Calif. He then attended the Ground Communications Repair course at the Marines" base in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Aguilar reported to 3rd Bn., 3rd Marine Regiment March 25, 2003.

Prior to his deployment to Iraq, Aguilar made two prior deployments - once as part of the Battalion Landing Team for the Okinawa, Japan-based 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and once last year in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

"He always gave me faith the job would always get done," said Aguilar"s Platoon Commander, 1st Lt. Brenden Mooney. "He was a strong and dedicated young man. I watched him take seven other junior Marines under his wing and train them."

Mooney, and approximately 150 other Marines and sailors attended Aguilar"s memorial service April 10, 2006 in the Haditha Dam, located in Haditha, Iraq. Several Marines who knew Aguilar spoke of his dedication to the Marine Corps, his family and the Marines he served with.

"He could fix anything," said Staff Sgt. Gatai Patu. "He will be surely missed by all of us."

Aguilar"s awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.

He is survived by his mother, Olivia Aguilar and his father, Andres Aguilar, Sr.

The other three confirmed U.S. service members who died in the accident, all from 1st MLG, were - Lance Cpl. Felipe D. Sandoval-Flores, of Los Angeles; Staff Sgt. Abraham G. Twitchell, of Yelm, Wash.; and Lance Cpl. Eric A. Palmisano, of Florence, Wis. A U.S. sailor, Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcques J. Nettles, of Beaverton, Ore., is still listed as "Duty Status - Whereabouts Unknown" from the accident.

During a memorial service for Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer, who was killed April 20, 2006, from a roadside bomb in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province, Lance Cpl. Michael Brumley, administration clerk assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, sheds a tear for the fallen Marine. Marines and sailors from the Hawaii-based battalion held a memorial for Ramseyer April 23, 2006, at their base at Haditha, Iraq. Ramseyer served as the platoon commander for the battalion’s Forward Command Post, also known as the “Jump CP.” His job often required him to travel on Al Anbar’s dangerous roads to provide security for Iraqis and other Marines. The 28-year-old was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him. Ramseyer, who served with the battalion during in Afghanistan last year, is survived by his wife, Amanda and his three children, Caleb, Cadence and Riley. Photo by: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle

A rifle, helmet, dog tags and pair of combat boots comprise the memorial for Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer, a Lenoir, N.C., native and Marine serving in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. Ramseyer was killed in a roadside blast April 20, 2006. Marines and sailors from the Hawaii-based battalion held a memorial for him April 23, 2006, at their base at Haditha, Iraq. Ramseyer served as the platoon commander for the battalion’s Forward Command Post, also known as the “Jump CP.” His job often required him to travel on Al Anbar’s dangerous roads to provide security for Iraqis and other Marines. The 28-year-old was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him. Ramseyer, who served with the battalion in Afghanistan last year, is survived by his wife, Amanda and his three children, Caleb, Cadence and Riley. Photo by: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle

Marines from the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment held a memorial service for Lenoir, N.C., native Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer April 23, 2006, at their base at Haditha, Iraq. Ramseyer was killed in a roadside blast April 20, 2006. Marines and sailors from the Hawaii-based battalion held a memorial for him April 23, 2006, at their base at Haditha, Iraq. Ramseyer served as the platoon commander for the battalion’s Forward Command Post, also known as the “Jump CP.” His job often required him to travel on Al Anbar’s dangerous roads to provide security for Iraqis and other Marines. The 28-year-old was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him. Ramseyer, who served with the battalion in Afghanistan last year, is survived by his wife, Amanda and his three children, Caleb, Cadence and Riley. Photo by: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle

Iraqi Army Lt. Col. Abbas Jabbar Abbas Al Amari, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, pays his respects to Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer, who was killed April 20, 2006 in a roadside blast in Haditha, Iraq. Marines and sailors from the Hawaii-based battalion held a memorial for him April 23, 2006, at their base at Haditha, Iraq. Ramseyer served as the platoon commander for the battalion’s Forward Command Post, also known as the “Jump CP.” His job often required him to travel on Al Anbar’s dangerous roads to provide security for Iraqis and other Marines. The 28-year-old was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him. Ramseyer, who served with the battalion in Afghanistan last year, is survived by his wife, Amanda and his three children, Caleb, Cadence and Riley. Photo by: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle

A Marine with 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, pays final respects to Staff Sgt. Jason C. Ramseyer, who was killed April 20, 2006 in a roadside blast while serving in Iraq’s Al Anbar Province, during a memorial service for the Lenoir, N.C., native. Marines and sailors from the Hawaii-based battalion held a memorial for him April 23, 2006, at their base at Haditha, Iraq. Ramseyer served as the platoon commander for the battalion’s Forward Command Post, also known as the “Jump CP.” His job often required him to travel on Al Anbar’s dangerous roads to provide security for Iraqis and other Marines. The 28-year-old was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him. Ramseyer, who served with the battalion in Afghanistan last year, is survived by his wife, Amanda and his three children, Caleb, Cadence and Riley. Photo by: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle

Gunnery Sgt. Michael Kiernan, company gunnery sergeant for Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, recalls memories he had while serving with Staff Sgt. Jason Ramseyer of Lenoir, N.C. Ramseyer was killed in a roadside blast April 20, 2006. Marines and sailors from the Hawaii-based battalion held a memorial for him April 23, 2006, at their base at Haditha, Iraq. Ramseyer served as the platoon commander for the battalion’s Forward Command Post, also known as the “Jump CP.” His job often required him to travel on Al Anbar’s dangerous roads to provide security for Iraqis and other Marines. The 28-year-old was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him. Ramseyer, who served with the battalion in Afghanistan last year, is survived by his wife, Amanda and his three children, Caleb, Cadence and Riley. Photo by: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle

Staff Sgt. Jason Ramseyer of Lenoir, N.C., was killed in a roadside blast April 20, 2006. Marines and sailors from the Hawaii-based 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment held a memorial for him April 23, 2006, at their base at Haditha, Iraq. Ramseyer served as the platoon commander for the battalion’s Forward Command Post, also known as the “Jump CP.” His job often required him to travel on Al Anbar’s dangerous roads to provide security for Iraqis and other Marines. The 28-year-old was remembered as a committed leader and devout family man by those who served with him. Ramseyer, who served with the battalion in Afghanistan last year, is survived by his wife, Amanda and his three children, Caleb, Cadence and Riley. Photo by: Sgt. Roe F. Seigle